The 10 Cs: Finding a great plant and equipment supplier

Have you found a great plant hire supplier to support your project? Here are some telltale signs.

Introducing, the 10 Cs of supplier evaluation. Used as a checklist, the 10 Cs model can help you evaluate potential suppliers in several ways.

1. Competency

The supplier’s competency is usually the first thing you'd look at when trying to find a plant hire or equipment hire company. Hard evidence is to be provided - you can aslo check online reviews or ask their past clients for testimonies if possible.

2. Capacity

Do they have enough capacity to handle your firm's requirements? So, how quickly will they be able to respond to these, and to other market and supply fluctuations? Look at all of the supplier's resources, too. For example, if you're looking at excavator hire, does it have the fleet and resources to meet your needs, particularly when commitments to other clients are considered?

3. Commitment

Your chosen supplier needs to prove that it’s determined to provide high quality service for the duration of the contract. This could include ongoing evidence of their committment to delivering to your requirements.

4. Control

Check and see if they have a firm grasp over their policies, procedures, processes and supply chain. How will it ensure that it delivers constantly and reliably?

5. Cash

Check financial health. If you’re planning on a long term relationship with a particular supplier, ask for a capability statement to show they're in a good position to weather the ups and downs of an uncertain economy.

6. Cost

Are the rates of their plant hire or subcontractor services competitive with other firms? Do they have superior products, materials or operators?

7. Consistency

Great suppliers have policies in place to ensure consistent work. Ask about their approach to specific project situations and, if possible, ask for a product demonstration or a test product to see if their quality matches your preference.

8. Culture

Choose a supplier whose workplace values and culture closely matches your own. This will ensure that both supplier and hirer are on the same spectrum when it comes to meeting deadlines, site behaviour and standard of work.

9. Clean

If you're environemtnally inclined, ask the supplier what he’s doing to lessen his environmental footprint. Having an ethical business – that is, treating his people well – is also a sign of being a “clean” business.

10. Communication

Ask the supplier how they will establish a clear line of communication with you, most especially if there is an emergency situation that needs their attention.

Finding or picking a great supplier is not easy, but the 10 Cs will be able to help you choose which supplier best fits your needs. An added bonus is that you'll have a much broader understanding of their capabilities.

Local suppliers have a mountain of qualities they can bring to the table - which is why they're often so highly valued in tenders and project rquirements. So don't forget to check out this free eBook - 3 reasons why local suppliers will improve your tender applications - below, and find out more about why it's important to include local suppliers on your list.